The streaking pacing mare Pembroke Ali and hot-handed reinsman Leon Bailey headlined the Friday, Oct. 17 feature events at Vernon Downs.
Bailey drove five winners on the 15-race card, including Pembroke Ali ($5.74), who earned her sixth straight victory in one of three $10,563 featured condition races.
In the distaff pacing feature, Pembroke Ali turned back a mid-mile challenge from Bell Of Lazarus (Tom Merton) then held off Unusual Clarity (Ron Harp) and Aint She Pretty (Dylan Huckabone-Miller) by a quarter of a length in a career-best clocking of 1:52.1. The seven-year-old Western Maverick-Adela Hanover mare has won all six of her starts since joining the Joe Skowyra stable last month.
Bailey teamed up with Skowyra for another victory with Shailene Hanover ($8.36). He also drove a pair of successful starters from the Jessica Okusko stable, partnering with American Sunshine ($2.38) and a dead-heat winner Logo ($3.12). His other victory was behind Samsun Of A Beach ($5.48) for trainer Dale Lawton.
A pair of co-featured conditioned optional claiming races were won by pacer Gold Star Sven ($18.64) and Steeven Genois in 1:52.3 for trainer John Stubits and trotter Sweet Valley ($9.62) and driver Chris Long in 1:55.4 for conditioner Rob Harmon.
Live harness racing returns to Vernon Downs on Saturday, with a post time of 5:05 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)